Easy Healthy Festive Recipe: Cashew Nut Roast

This is my favourite Christmas dinner, easy to make in advance. The recipe appears in my first book, the Healthy Living Yearbook. Why not shake things up this Christmas and do things differently with a veggie main? The turkeys will thank you!

Serves 6 (excellent for leftovers)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125g wholemeal breadcrumbs, fresh
200 - 250g cashews
300g plain tofu (firm, not silken)
1 tsp rosemary, fresh is best
1 tsp thyme, fresh is best
1 vegetable stock cube
125ml hot water
250g mushrooms, chopped (field mushrooms for maximum taste)
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Greased 2 lb loaf tin

- Preheat oven to 180C
- In a big pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft, not brown. Take off the heat.
- If you're making your own breadcrumbs, you can do this now, then grind the cashews and mix them together.
- Add the cashew / breadcrumb mix to the pot of onion and garlic and toss in the herbs.
- Blend the stock cube, hot water and tofu in a blender until creamy.
- Add the tofu mix to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate pan, heat remaining oil and sauté the mushrooms.
- In the greased loaf tin, arrange some of the mushrooms, then press in half the tofu / cashew mix.
- Arrange another layer of mushrooms, then the rest of the tofu / cashew mix, then a final layer of mushrooms.
- Seal the top with a piece of tin foil and bake for one hour.
- When cooked, remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes, before easing round edges with a knife and turning out
- Very tasty with roast vegetables and onion gravy.